Jan 2006 SignalSmoke - Travis Audubontravisaudubon.org/.../uploads/2011/10/Jan2006SignalSmoke.pdfSpeaker: Jason Spangler, Treasurer and Board Member, Native Prairies Association of

IINSIDENSIDETHISTHISISISSUE . . .SUE . . .

From the TAS President ..........................2

Sparrow Fest ...........................................3

Naturalist’s Calendar ..............................4

The Dan Callaway Report ......................5

TAS News.................................................6

Notes from our E-mail box.....................7

News from Hornsby Bend......................8

Baker Sanctuary News............................9

TAS Field Trips & Walks .................10-11

TAS Articles of Amendment..................12

TAS Classes ...........................................13

Think Spring!........................................14

TAS - Get Involved! ...............................15

Travis Audubon SocietyMembership Form ...................Back page

VOLUME 55, NO. 1 January 2006

continued on page 3

MOKEMOKESSSSIGNALIGNALThe Newsletter of Travis Audubon Society

Hawkwatch 2005First off, I would like to thank Hornsby Bend for running the hawkwatch again this

year and the Travis Audubon Society for funding it. Without them we would be missing out on valuable data for central Texas raptor migration. I would also like

to thank Peg Wallace and Jeff Hanson for their helpful knowledge and everyone else who spent some time combing the skies with me. I fi nished compiling the 2005 Hornsby Bend hawkwatch data and wanted to let everyone know how it compared to the previous four years. I was also interested in fi nding out what the Corpus Christi (ninth year) and Smith Point (12th year) hawkwatch results were.

Starting off with total numbers and species numbers, we ended 2005 with a total of 4,173 migrating raptors. This was the lowest ever recorded for the Hornsby Bend Hawkwatch. The last three years have been between 11,000 and 17,000 raptors, which would put us at about one quarter to one third our average total numbers. Only the fi rst year (2001) was similar at 4,208. For total species we had 17 different raptor species recorded this year, which is consistent in that every year has always been between 16 and 18 total.

Next, I wanted to look at what were the main differences in numbers compared over the past years. The greatest factor in decreased numbers was the missing Swainson’s hawk migration over Hornsby Bend. When the yearly average is 8,000-11,000 and we only had 1,190, it makes up most of the decline from years past. The 2001 season had only 2,104 Swainson’s which is why that years total migrants is similar to 2005. Also notable species, which were down compared to years past, are Mississippi Kites (77), which has averaged around 350 the last two years, Sharp-shinned hawks (14), which averaged around 80 the last three years, American Kestrel (19), which has averaged about 60 over the last four years, and Peregrine Falcon (2), which has averaged about 10

TAS Regular Monthly Meeting

Thursday, January 19, 7:00 p.m.Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for social time

Program: Texas PrairiesSpeaker: Jason Spangler, Treasurer and Board Member,

Native Prairies Association of Texas

Highland Park Baptist Church5206 Balcones Drive, Austin TX

see page 8 for additional details

photo courtesy of Gary Newgord

note different location!

2 S I G N A L S M O K E / January 2 0 0 6 T R A V I S A U D U B O N S O C I E T Y

Subscription InformationSignal Smoke, published 11 months of the year by Travis Audubon Society, is a TAS mem ber ship bene fi t. To join TAS, see the back page of this newsletter. For address or sub-scription changes, please call 512 300-BIRD (2473) or email TAS at [email protected]. The post offi ce will not forward Signal Smoke.

Newsletter DeadlineThe submissions deadline is the fi rst day of the pre ced ing month (for example, September 1 for the October issue). Sub mit uncopyright-ed arti cles, an nounce ments, and art to Tess Sherman, [email protected]; or mail to 210 E. Walnut Dr. Austin, TX 78753. Sub-mis sions by e mail or on a fl oppy are pre ferred but not re quired. Call Tess at 974-8582 if you have questions.

TAS Rare Bird Alert Eric Carpenter 300-2473 select option #3 Bird Records Lawrence Buford 452-6344 Ethel Kutac 346-7659 Conservation John Kelly 331-8693 Education—Adult Bill Reiner 445-0565 Education—Youth Julia Balinsky 926-7312 Field Trips Charles Stephens 328-9453 Hospitality Susan Moak 512-925-4590 Latin America Bob Warneke 443-5488 Programs Marsha Reimer 965-6714 Property and Finance Pat Dillon 663-4448 Publications Tess Sherman 974-8582 Publicity Barbara Anderson 346-6584 Sales Jim Terrell 267-0880 Sanctuary John Wilcox 219-8425 Urban Habitat Development Jane Tillman 794-0058

COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRS

ABOUT SIGNAL SMOKE

Mission StatementThe Travis Audubon Society promotes the enjoyment, understanding,

and preservation of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats in Central Texas.

Materials are copyrighted by their authors. For permission to reproducefor nonprofi t purposes, please contact TAS.

LETTER FROM THE TAS PRESIDENT

Travis Audubon SocietyGeneral Address

P.O. Box 40787, Austin TX 78704Address for Donations

P.O. Box 40787, Austin TX 78704

Phone numbers listed below without an area code are local numbers in the

512 area.

OFFICERS AND DIRECTORSPresident Shelia Hargis 300-BIRDFirst Vice President Sam Fason 474-1185Second Vice President Barbara Anderson 346-6584Treasurer Jane Wilson 858-7696Recording Secretary Anne Donovan 472-3030Past President Pat Dillon 347-0452Directors Robert Bates 528-9317 Theresa Bayoud 836-3511 John Kelly 331-8693 Marsha Reimer 282-6714 Bill Reiner 445-0565 Jane Tillman 794-0058Executive Director Valerie Staats, PhD 300-BIRD [email protected]

BAKER SANCTUARY STEWARDJohn Wilcox 219-8425

ACT REPRESENTATIVESJohn Kelly (state president) 331-8693Bryan Hale (state treasurer) 474-5599

SIGNAL SMOKE EDITORTess Sherman 974-8582

TAS TELEPHONE The offi ce number is now 512-300-BIRD

(2473). To leave a message for Board President Shelia Hargis, press 1. To leave a message for Executive Director Valerie Staats, press 2. To report sightings of rare or unusual birds in Central Texas, press

3. To ask a bird-related question, press 4. TAS WEB SITE

www.travisaudubon.orgTAS EMAIL

[email protected]

Signal Smoke is printed on recycled paper

using soy ink.

Happy New Year! I hope you ended 2005 on a good note, preferably by participating in your favorite Christmas Bird Counts. On January 2, I’ll participate in my fi fth

one for this CBC season. Five is about my limit.

I fi nd myself in a refl ective mood and am looking back over 2005. On a national level, it was a very diffi cult year for those of us who care about the environment, but there were a few bright spots. The U.S. Senate acknowledged that global warming is an issue and that we must work toward lowering our impact. The U.S. House removed the Arctic drilling provision from their version of the budget. This one is not over yet, but it was encouraging to see the House respond to public outcry.

Internally, 2005 was a year of big changes for TAS. The Bird Records Committee went “live” with our new bird records database. We hired an Executive Director who quickly found and established an offi ce for us and began raising funds right away. One of my favorite changes is our new phone number, 300-BIRD. Is that not the coolest phone number? Another big change was a face-lift to our logo. We didn’t just change it because we could. We changed it because we need to present ourselves as a vibrant, 21st century organization that can compete with other

Shelia Hargis,photo by Robert Baumgardner

continued on page 5

T R A V I S A U D U B O N S O C I E T Y S I G N A L S M O K E / January 2 0 0 6 3

over the last four years. Notable exceptions are Broad-winged hawk, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Osprey, Merlin, and Red-tailed hawks, which stayed consistant with past years. Broad-

winged Hawk, Turkey Vulture, and Black Vulture numbers were only surpassed by last year.

After conferring with the Corpus Christi and Smith Point hawkwatches, I have found their results to be similar. Their total numbers were way down due mainly to missing Broad-winged hawks, which makes up their greatest numbers. In variable results Corpus Christi also had the highest numbers on record for many of the falcons, rarer hawks, and Mississippi Kites.

Hawkwatch, continued from front page

Sparrow Fest February 10-12, 2006

Finally, I would like to conclude with some possible reasons for the large decrease in total numbers this year. The arrival of hurricanes Katrina and Rita during the height of raptor migration would seem to have affected numbers throughout Texas. The record high heat for the last few weeks of September, added with a lack of cold fronts, may have pushed Swainson’s migration to the west of Austin. Did the heat also cause the raptors to soar higher in the sky, making the smaller birds like the Sharp-shinned hawk and the fast moving Mississippi Kites harder to spot? The more years we collect data, the more we may be able to understand raptor migration, but also the more questions which will be brought up that we would like to answer.

Gary Newgord

The ever-popular Sparrow Workshop is coming to Balcones Canyonlands! We are planning a three-day retreat at Balcones Canyonlands NWR. Classroom sessions will be held at

Balcones Springs with fi eld trips to Balcones Canyonlands NWR. Workshop Price: $75 per person for Friends members; $100 nonmembers. Save $10: join Friends for $15 and pay $75 for the workshop. Register online at www.friendsofbalcones.org/sparrowFest.htm. Class size: 20-25. Co-led by Sparrow Experts Byron Stone and Bill Reiner.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONMake it a weekend getaway! Lodging at Balcones Springs is not required but encouraged. They are providing the perfect retreat experience. Want to bring a non-birder? Balcones Springs will organize events for your guest. The Balcones Springs Executive Retreat and Conference Center is a retreat format and each cabin sleeps 4 people. You do not need to have 4 people to make reservations. The reservation desk will pair up participants appropriately if you request the quad rate ($120.00). Alternatively, you can request a cabin at 3, 2 or 1 but pay accordingly. Jeff Schafer (Balcones Springs manager) will be very fl exible so please call him about

any special considerations you want. Also keep in mind your room rate includes 2 nights and all your meals. It’s a prefect complement to Byron & Bill’s magnifi cent workshop. They are really going all out to help make this an experience you won’t soon forget.

Weekend Rates: $120 per guest in quad occupancy cabins$160 per guest in triple occupancy cabins$240 per guest in double occupancy cabins$360 per guest is single occupancy cabinsINCLUDES: Friday dinner social, Saturday breakfast, box lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast, Friday & Saturday (2) nights. Check in Friday, check out Sunday. *6.25% sales tax and 11% hotel tax (unless tax-exempt). For more information, leave a message on the Friends message center at 512- 267-9535 or at [email protected].

Dr Byron Stone (l) and Bill Reinerphotos courtesy of Sparrow Fest website

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla), photo by Dr Byron Stone


NATURALIST’S CALENDAR

by Bill Reiner

photo by Robert Baumgardner

Whispering fl ocks of brown-and-gray birds hurry across the sky in search of berry-laden trees during the month of January. As their preferred food sources become

scarce, fl ocks drift into urban areas. By late January or February, when urban fl ocks grow larger, even non-birders become aware of them.

The birds charm most who see them. At close range, a jaunty crest, a black face mask, and a bright yellow band at the tip of the tail highlight the soft plumage, giving the birds a sleek, stylish appearance. Their lisping calls and tight-knit fl ocks make them seem gentle and sociable. Only binoculars or very close encounters reveal the shiny red spots on the wings – characteristics that birdwatchers long ago likened to drops of red sealing wax. This feature, plus their taste for the fruit of the Eastern Redcedar, gave the birds the name: Cedar Waxwing.

Sealing wax is an anachronism, in this age of electronic mail, but waxwings still carry the name. The world’s three waxwing species are the only birds known to wear these waxy-looking structures on the tips of their secondary feathers. Each red tip is the fl attened extension of the feather’s rachis. We now know that the color comes from the carotenoid pigment astaxanthin, formed in the waxwing’s body from a chemical found in the many red fruits it eats. But we still don’t know the function of the structures.

An early guess, proposed by Alexander Wilson, was that they protect the ends of the feathers from wear. Later studies showed that feathers with the red tips become just as ragged as those without. A more recent hypothesis is that the number and size of the red tips helps the birds choose their mates.

The secondaries of immature waxwings, those less than 14 months old, usually lack the red tips. Even those that do wear them have fewer or smaller tips than those of most older birds. (Some adult birds also lack the red tips.) When waxwings pair up, older birds – those with more “wax” on their wings – mate more often with each other than with younger birds. Pairs of older birds begin nest-building earlier in the year than younger pairs, and fl edge more young.

Adult birds also migrate about a month earlier than immatures, though migration is not as clearly defi ned for waxwings as for insectivorous birds. When food is plentiful, fl ocks may linger late into the winter in northern parts of their summer range. It is hard to tell whether the throngs that appear in Austin in February are birds that are still migrating southward, returning northward, or simply moving into town from rural areas.

A waxwing’s life is nomadic, dependent as it is upon fi nding fruit to eat. One study found that fruit of various kinds comprises 84% of their annual diet. The winter proportion is even higher – to nearly 100%. When fruit is scarce, particularly in the spring, they switch to sugary subsitutes: tree sap, sap-feeding scale

insects, and the petals of tree fl owers. They might also resort to fl ycatching, especially when they encounter a swarm of small insects.

Cedar Waxwings are truly opportunists. Waxwings wintering in Oklahoma were found to prefer whatever fruit is most abundant. Mistletoe was the preferred food at fi rst, along with hackberry; later in the winter, as these sources became scarce, the waxwings shifted to hollies. The birds also have a fondness for the “berries” (actually cones) of Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), which occurs as far west as Austin. However, they appear to be equally happy with this tree’s close cousin, the Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei), also known as Mountain Cedar.

Cedar Waxwings have done well in association with humans lately. If anything, in the past 20 years their continent-wide population has grown. Part of the reason for the increase is the reclamation of old agricultural lands in the northeastern U.S. by second-growth forest – including many fruiting trees and shrubs such as hawthorns and crabapples. Another is the plethora of introduced fruit-bearing ornamentals. Waxwings may, unfortunately, help to spread these non-native plants, to the detriment of native ecosystems. One exotic plant may be leaving a mark of a different sort on the waxwings themselves.

The yellow band at the end of the Cedar Waxwing’s tail is colored by carotenoid pigments different from the ones that color the wingtips. These chemicals, canary-xanthophylls, are incorporated into the vanes of the feathers. (Japanese Waxwings, the least likely of the waxwings to have red tips on the secondaries, incorporate astaxanthin into their tail feathers instead, giving them red tail bands.)

Intriguingly, Cedar Waxwings with orange tail bands, usually juvenile birds, have been appearing since about 1960. This color variation, which is becoming more common, has been traced to the fruits of non-native ornamental honeysuckle shrubs – particularly Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii). Waxwings that eat the berries of these shrubs when they are growing new tail feathers may then incorporate the pigment rhodoxanthin into their feathers, along with its reddish tint. For Cedar Waxwings it may not be true that “you are what you eat,” but what you eat may certainly “color” you!

Several sources for this article came from the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA), www.elibrary.unm.edu/sora/index.php. (Thanks to Tim Fennell for introducing me to this resource!). Of particular benefi t were: “Why are Waxwings ‘Waxy’? Delayed Plumage Maturation in the Cedar Waxwing,” by D. James Mountjoy and Raleigh J. Robertson, in The Auk, v. 105; “A Field Study of Winter Fruit Preferences of Cedar Waxwings,” by Jean M. McPherson, in The Condor, v. 89; and “Probable Dietary Basis of a Color Variant of the Cedar Waxwing,” by Jocelyn Hudon and Alan H. Brush, in The Journal of Field Ornithology, v. 60 (with a followup commentary by A. Brush in v. 61).


THE DAN CALLAWAYDAN CALLAWAY R E P O R TR E P O R T

Birding to Granger Lake - 10/26/05Participants: Ethel Kutac, Jane Connelly, Terry Banks, Homer Cunningham, Catfi sh Kelly, Ed Rosenburg, and Dan Callaway

Target birds: All three kingfi sher species

From Austin we headed North on I-35 to Georgetown. At the McDonald’s we saw Eurasian Collared-Doves in the parking

lot. From there we went South on Austin Ave and turned left just prior to the river bridge and drove down to San Gabriel Park. The park produced 33 species of birds including Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Great and Snowy Egrets, Cooper’s and Red-tailed Hawks, Spotted Sandpiper, Ringed and Green Kingfi shers, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Carolina Chickadee and Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin and Pipit, Orange-crowned and Pine Warbler, and Northern Cardinal. And of course lots of White-winged Doves, European Starlings and Great-tailed Grackles.

Downstream about fi fty yards from the low-water crossing sat the Ringed Kingfi sher perched on a utility wire in the middle of the river. After about 20 minutes, a Cooper’s Hawk made a pass and the kingfi sher fl ew over us going upstream about 100 yards and perched on a low branch above the water and stayed there till we left the area. Two Green Kingfi shers were fl ying back and forth across the river about 100 yards downstream perching on low branches and midstream rocks.

We then drove out the North end of the park, turned right on 971, and left on CR 152 for about two miles to Berry Springs

Park adjacent to Berry Creek. Along the wooded rightside border we saw Mourning Dove, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmice, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Northern Cardinal. In the pecan grove and grassy edges were Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebe and Bluebird, Yellow-rumped and Pine Warbler, Chipping, Field, Vesper and Savannah Sparrows, House Finches and meadowlarks. Along the creek we had a Belted Kingfi sher to complete our tally of target birds. The marshy area below the pond revealed a Song Sparrow.

We continued East on 971 to Weir, then South to 29. Along here we recorded several Loggerhead Shrike and Lark Sparrows. At Mankin’s Crossing there was another Belted Kingfi sher perched on a midstream rock with a large shiny minnow in its beak. About a half mile south from there, at the low-water crossing on CR 100, a Great Blue Heron and a Red-shouldered Hawk had a close encounter over a vantage-point perch. Our last stop was Old Settlers Park lake to record Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Buffl ehead and Ruddy Duck.

Total Species: 56 (thirty-three at 10 am and forty-four by 11 am)

Best bird: Ringed Kingfi sher

organizations for donations and grants. That meant our logo had to be clean, simple and crisp. Thank you Tess for such an awesome design! Valerie redesigned and relaunched our great new Web site for the same reasons. If you haven’t checked it out recently, please do so.

Some of our recent changes, which we’re announcing in this issue, involve members stepping up to fi ll volunteer roles. Eric Carpenter is our new Rare Bird Alert compiler. Marsha Reimer, who has been on the Programs Committee, has stepped up to chair that committee. I expect great things from Eric and Marsha. Thank you both for giving of your time and energy to TAS. And thank you to Isaac Sanchez and Howie Richey for fi lling those positions prior to Eric and Marsha.

I know all of these changes can be unnerving. But the changes are needed if we are to appeal to younger generations of birders

and if we are to compete for today’s corporate dollars. It’s critical to the ongoing success of TAS that we bring in younger birders and conservationists and that we raise funds. Trust that the people making the changes are doing so with Travis Audubon’s best interest in mind.

I believe strongly in the positive power of saying thank you. As you review 2005 and fi nd things to be thankful for, I encourage you to let the people responsible for those things know that you appreciate them. It will mean a great deal to them. I’ll end with a quote from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Make someone feel good today by thanking them for their contributions to TAS.

Stay tuned for an exciting 2006! And please join us for our January 19 membership meeting. I look forward to seeing you there.

Shelia Hargis

President’s column, continued from page 2


From the TAS Offi ce:

We are grateful for the generous response of our members and friends to our annual appeal this fall. Your gifts make a real difference to our capacity to

deliver our programs. Your gifts also help us leverage other funds, because we can demonstrate to potential grantors or corporate underwriters that we have a large and supportive membership. Thank you once again, and please know that we welcome contributions at any time of year.

By now many of you may have visited our new Web site. We hope you like the new organization of information, designed so that you can fi nd what you need quickly. In response to suggestions, we included an on-line dues payment or renewal option via PayPal – just go to our home page and click on Membership. For those not comfortable with on-line transactions, we welcome your checks sent to our postal box, as usual. We have recently instituted credit card processing capacity in the offi ce as well, so you will start seeing these payment options on your dues payment forms.

Shelia wrote in her President’s column the great news about our new Rare Bird Alert compiler, Eric Carpenter. He has hit the ground running. Eric has lived in NW Austin for 10 years and spent most of his life in Texas. He’s birded various parts of Texas for the last 26 years, concentrating on the Austin area in the last couple of years. Check out the new RBA page on our Web site to see for yourself. Eric is also handling the Rare Bird Alert call-in line on our telephone system, so please be encouraged to call the number to get reports of sightings or submit your own reports.

My little offi ce window-feeder is fi nally getting some action: house sparrows and house fi nches. I put it up in October and after two months of no visitors, I am happy to have birdlife in close view. The fi rst visitor to the feeder, seen by TAS Board Member Jane Wilson and me, was a black-crested titmouse. But s/he has not yet made a repeat visit. I bought special seed with a variety of nuts and small “suet balls” in the hope of attracting downy woodpeckers to this very small-scale feeder. Hope springs eternal!

Valerie Staats

For ideas on ways you can support Travis Audubon Society (including an on-line donation button for those who prefer to give via the Internet), please go to our Web site at www.travisaudubon.org and click on Support Us.

TAS News

Volunteer of the MonthISAAC SANCHEZ

For more than two years, Isaac was the voice of Travis Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert. He was responsible for gathering data on bird sightings from a number of sources and combining them into a report for both the Travis Audubon Hotline and the TexBirds website. As well, he ensured that reports of exceptionally rare sightings were dissemi-nated as quickly as possible.

A big TAS thank you, Isaac, for a job well done!

Don’t forget to participate in this year’s

Great Backyard Bird CountFebruary 17-20, 2006

Info, tally sheets, results and more, available atwww.birdsource.org/gbbc/


To the editor:

In “Notes from Our E-Mail Box” (Signal Smoke, Dec. 2005, p. 7) PL laments the invasion of nonnative ducks in the ponds behind Central Market, and notes that they

appear to be displacing native birds. I share PL’s sentiments on this, but would like to point out that there is still another native species that lives–even fl ourishes–in the area of Guadalupe and 38th, where PL lives. I urge PL to stand at the southeast corner of that very intersection and look eastward. S/he will see a convenience store, but rising up from behind the store will be palm leaves, and if PL moves a few feet east on 38th and looks behind the store s/he will see the palm trees on which the leaves grow. Now, does PL know that, even though they lack feathers, these palm trees, just like the wood ducks behind Central Market, are Texas natives? They are in fact Sabal mexicana palms, Texas’ only native palm-tree species, and the same species that inspired the acquisition of the Audubon Sabal Palm Grove Center and Sanctuary, on the Lower Rio Grande. So what is this tree of the tropics doing at a busy intersection in the frozen wastes of Austin?

There was a time when botanists believed S. mexicana was not native north of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. In 1989, however, a native population of this palm was discovered along Garcitas Creek, near Victoria, and 200 miles north of the Audubon sanctuary. Further, 19th Century botanists of the eminence of Ferdinand Lindheimer and George Engelmann reported palms with up to 40-foot-high trunks growing along rivers draining into the central coast, and in 1716 a Mexican priest reported their presence at what is now Brackenridge Park, in San Antonio. As for how much farther inland they grew we have no further historical evidence, but we do know that, when planted, the species thrives, and escapes into the wild, even as far inland as Inks Lake State Park.

What became of them? They were too useful for their own good. Teredo navalis, the shipworm, eats wood immersed in water, but does not eat palm wood. This created an enormous demand for palm trunks for use as pilings for wharves. This demand, along with a demand for use of the species as ornamentals (hence the 38th Street palms), so nearly extirpated the north-of-the-Valley wild population that botanists forgot it had ever existed.

To see a population of Sabal mexicana going wild go to Mayfi eld Park and Laguna Gloria, both at the west end of 35th Street, and be sure to look along the lake shore and not just on the main grounds. To get even better acquainted with Texas’ own (they are native to no other U.S. state) palm-tree species, plant one in your yard and the birds will love it. They bear a sweet fruit that even people can eat.

Landon Lockett

Notes from Our E-Mail Box

Photo credit: Carol Ramsay

News from Hornsby BendFebruary Workshop: Natural History

of Central Texas OwlsFriday and Saturday February 3-4

Rob Fergus, National Audubon Science Coordinator of the Audubon At Home Program and founding director of the

Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory will review the ecology, life history, and methods of fi nding, attracting, and managing the six owl species that regularly occur in Central Texas: Great Horned, Barred, Barn, Short-eared, Burrowing, and Eastern Screech. Friday evening will focus on the ecology and life history of each owl species.

Saturday morning, participants will learn about attracting owls to their rural or suburban property, about different owl nest box designs, and monitoring owl species. Optional owl excursions Friday night and early Saturday morning will search for the owls found at Hornsby Bend. Date: Friday, February 3 (7-9:30 pm) and Saturday, February 4 (9 am-4 pm). Cost: $50, includes Saturday breakfast and lunch and information packets.


TAS Monthly Meeting - Jan 2006TAS Monthly Meeting - Jan 2006

Prairie defi nitions (from the Environmental Literacy Council)• Tallgrass prairie

The tallgrass prairie in the easternmost third of the Great Plains is predominantly made up of Indian grass, switchgrass, and especially, big bluestem. The tallgrass prairie has much taller and denser grasses than the western prairies. An acre of intact tallgrass hosts between 200-400 species of native plants - 3 out of 4 of them wildfl owers.

• Mixed-grass prairieHere the soil is less productive and native grasses don’t grow as tall. This section is known as the mixed-grass prairie and is basically a transition zone between the tall grasses of the Midwest and the very short grasses that lie just east of the Rocky Mountains. Typical grasses of the mixed-grass prairie are little bluestem, green needlegrass, and prairie dropseed.

• Shortgrass prairieThe far western prairie in the shadow of the Rockies is the shortgrass prairie. This region is dominated by drought tolerant plants that grow only 6-12 inches high. The dominant grasses are blue gamma and buffalo grass. Sagebrush and other shrubs are numerous and cacti are fairly common.

Map courtesy of the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program

Major organizations and their Web sites:Native Prairies Association of Texas www.texasprairie.orgFriends of the Prairie Learning Center www.tallgrass.orgThe Prairie Enthusiasts www.theprairieenthusiasts.org

General information on prairies:National Park Service Tallgrass Prairie www.nps.gov/tapr

Recommended reading:The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands, edited by Stephen Packard & Cornelia Mutel (Island, 1997)

Tallgrass Prairie Wildfl owers: A Field Guide by Doug Ladd (Falcon, 1995)

Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie by John Madsen (University of Iowa Press, 2004)

Resources for you compiled by the Travis Audubon offi ce:

Thursday, January 19, 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm for social time)

TAS Regular Monthly MeetingProgram: Texas Prairies

Presenter: Jason Spangler

Prairie is a diverse community of native plants and wildlife, dominated by native grasses and fl owers in successions throughout the year with sparse to few trees. Prairie once made up over half of Travis County and most of Williamson County, but now it is almost

completely gone due to plowing for their incredible fertile soils and now development. The tallgrass prairie is the most endangered large ecosystem in North America with less than 1% remaining, and even less is left of Texas’ own Blackland Prairie. Grassland birds, whose native habitat is the prairie, have shown steeper, more consistent, and more geographically widespread declines than any other group of North American species.

Jason’s presentation will give an overview of Texas’s Blackland, Grand, and Coastal Prairies, grassland birds whose habitat is the prairie, and highlight the few remaining prairie remnants in the central Texas area that need protection. Jason Spangler is treasurer and a board member of the Native Prairies Association of Texas, a conservation organization and land trust dedicated to the conservation, restoration, and appreciation of native prairies. He also serves as the secretary and webmaster of the Austin chapter and webmaster of the Williamson County chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is also a member of Travis Audubon.

*Program begins at 7:00 p.m. Location: Highland Park Baptist Church, 5206 Balcones Dr. (Exit MoPac at 2222, go west on 2222, turn left on Balcones Drive, stay to the left at the fork, then turn right into the church parking lot.) Refreshments provided.

*Location Changefor January!


In the Sanctuary’s current budget, I allocated funds to make interpretive signs

for the trail systems. Since the story of the Sanctuary is far more complex than identifying single plant species on tags or labels, I chose to develop broader descriptions of habitat components. To make the interpretive signs themselves, I decided to put the component descriptions onto 8 ½” x 11” Sanctuary letterhead and laminate them. Once I decided on a letter-size format, I contracted with a metal shop to furnish square tubing and fabricate sheet holders out of aluminum. Then last fall, after I picked up the square tubing and the aluminum sheet holders, I fabricated sign stands out of the square tubing, primed and painted the stands black and fastened the aluminum sheet-holders to the stands. As summer ended, I began setting the sign holders in concrete on the three trail systems. Some features are found on more than one trail so the information on some of the signs is duplicated at similar features on other trails. For example, the Blue Trail, on the south side of Lime Creek Road, parallels and crosses Baker Creek at several places. The Green Trail crosses Harris Creek in several places on the Original 94 Acre Sanctuary and the geology bordering both Harris and Baker Creeks is similar. Some of the topics I have covered so far is our participation in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve system, the importance of our oak-juniper woodlands, the need for hardwood recruitment into our woodland canopy and the importance of mature juniper to the continued survival of the Golden-cheeked Warbler.

Other topics I have covered are the geology, soil and historical uses of the area that is now the Baker Sanctuary. This is a work in progress and hopefully, the information I have provided will allow our visitors to develop an appreciation for and a deeper understanding of the links that connect the ecological systems here at the Sanctuary.

In early November, while the weather was still warm, I was excited to fi nd a Texas Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus liocephalus infernalis) catching the last rays of an afternoon sun. I estimated the length of this lizard to be about sixteen inches from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail as it moved slowly into its burrow in a juniper tip-over mound. As I watched the lizard disappear underground, I observed blue-fl ecks in the cross bands on its dorsal surface. Images I found later on the Internet showed some degree of color variation in the individuals shown. The Texas Alligator Lizard is a diurnal, mainly terrestrial lizard found from the Edwards Plateau

west to the Big Bend region. The rocky hillsides on the Sanctuary provide ideal habitat for these carnivorous lizards whose diet consists of insects, spiders, small rodents, snakes and other lizards (Source: A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas by Garrett and Barker).

Travis County Commissioners met in November and instituted a countywide burn ban in response to continuing dry conditions. We received 1.75 inches of rain in October and only .35 inches of rain this month, making it the driest

November at the Sanctuary since we began keeping records in 2000.

Sanctuary Reopening Date - The Sanctuary will reopen January 28, 2006.

Baker Sanctuary Annual Open House Date SetMark your calendars for the Annual TAS Baker Sanctuary Open House scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2006 from 9:00 am until noon. Last year, we had a great group of guides, interpreters, support staff and traffi c controllers. This year, we will need at least ten bird guides, four individuals to greet visitors and sign them in and four people to show our visitors where to park. If you would like to help with our Open House this coming March, contact us at 219-8425 or email me at [email protected].

John Wilcox, TAS-Baker Sanctuary Chair and Steward

Baker Sanctuary News

photo credit: Marcie Wilcox

1 0 S I G N A L S M O K E / January 2 0 0 6 T R A V I S A U D U B O N S O C I E T Y

TAS Events - Jan 2006 New Year’s Eve Weekend

2006

Saturday, January 77:30 am to 2:00 pm

fi eld trip

Sunday, January 8 8:30 to 11:30 am

Youth birding walk

Saturday, January 14 7 am & 4 pm

Hornsby Bend monthly bird count

Sunday, January 157:30 am & 9:00 am to 10:30 am

monthly bird walk

Saturday, January 217:30 am to noon

monthly bird walk

Saturday, January 217:30 am through lunch and beyond

Saturday, January 287:30 am to 11:30 am or longer

bird walk

Saturday, January 282:30 to 6:30 pm

(leave Round Rock promptly at 1:15 pm, return by 8:00 pm)

fi eld trip

Bird Your Favorite Park!Visit your favorite local park and bring in the year right. Sunrise is at approximately 7:30 a.m. and sunset at 5:40 p.m., but the birds will be hopping all day long.

Granger Lake (Williamson County)Registration required, maximum is 15. Byron Stone will be leading this fi eld trip, and we’ll explore a variety of habitats as we search for waterfowl, shorebirds, Mountain Plovers, longspurs, woodland birds, and sparrows. Please keep in mind that seeing Mountain Plovers or longspurs is not guaranteed, and may only consist of fl yovers or scope views, but we’ll hope for the best. Dress in layers, and bring snack/lunch/water and $5/vehicle entry fee for Willis Creek Park. Contact Kathy McCormack (vefl [email protected], (c) 698-9880) to register or for more information.

Hornsby Bend Youth BirdingWe will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the C.E.R. building at Hornsby Bend where we will be led by Travis Audubon’s own Julia and Andy Balinsky. Bernadette Noll will be in attendance as social chair and interested novice birder. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult while older children may be dropped off. Parents and other adults are welcome and encouraged to attend, to share their birding knowledge or begin their birding experience. BYOB + S + W: (Binoculars, Snacks and Water.) Some binoculars can be made available with advanced notice. Good walking shoes, long pants and weather appropriate garb are recommended. It can get chilly out there on the ponds. For questions contact Bernadette Noll at [email protected]

Monthly Bird Count at Hornsby Bend Contact Kevin Anderson (972-1960) for more information - sponsored monthly by the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory.

Monthly Bird Walk at Roy Guerrero Park Contact Charles Stephens ([email protected], (w) 328-9453) for more information.

Monthly Bird Walk at Hornsby BendContact Richard Kaskan ([email protected], (c) 748-8660) for more information.

Winter Bird Survey on Nancy Moore’s property, “AcaciaJoin Anne Donovan and Nancy Moore as they survey winter birds on Nancy’s property, located near the Pedernales River. Participants will meet at the Albertson’s in Oak Hill at 7:00 a.m. Please bring a sandwich. Nancy will provide drinks, fruit, and cookies. The survey will continue until mid-afternoon. Please contact Anne Donovan at 512-472-3030 or e-mail Anne Donovan to reserve your place or for more information.

Bird Walk at Commons Ford ParkThe gate will be open at 7:00 so early birds can try to catch an owl. Contact Ed Fair at 512-560-1943 for more information. Some perks: the park has one of the most extensive birding list in Travis Co. with at least 150 species. Interesting winter guest include Merlin, Ringed Kingfi sher, Brown Creeper, Common Raven, Purple Finch and Le Conte’s, Fox and Swamp Sparrows.

Bell CountyLed by Rich Kostecke (The Nature Conservancy). This is a joint fi eld trip with Twin Lakes Audubon Society. Based on the recent birding activity, we will choose between the West Range of Ft. Hood and Union Grove WMA on the south side of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir. Bring water/snack/dinner. Directions to the Round Rock rendezvous location: From IH 35 Exit 253 (Hwy 79, Hutto, Taylor), go east on Hwy 79 for about 1/4 miles – a small shopping plaza is on the left before the fi rst traffi c light. Meet in the southeast corner of the parking lot (close to the traffi c light and Hwy 79) by 1:00 pm – we will leave for Bell County promptly at 1:15 pm. Directions to the Bell County rendezvous location: From Round Rock, take IH 35 north to Belton and take Exit 293A (Hwy 190, Central Texas Expwy). Go west on Hwy 190 for about 12 miles to Harker Heights, then take the exit for FM 2410 (Knight’s Way). At the light on the access road, turn left and go south over the expressway for about 0.2 miles (going past the ExtraCo Bank), then turn right into the Wal-Mart parking lot. We will meet Rich in the northeast corner of the Wal-Mart parking lot by 2:15 pm. We will leave for our birding destination promptly at 2:30 pm – we should have about three hours of daylight birding before looking for Short-eared Owls at dusk. Contact Kathy McCormack (vefl [email protected], (c) 698-9880) for more information. On the day of the fi eld trip, you may contact Rich ((c) 314-346-0658), if needed.


TAS Events - Feb 2006 Saturday, February 4, 2006

Field Trip to Lake Tawakoni (Dallas Area)

Saturday, February 11 or February 18early morning boat trip

fi eld trip

Saturday, February 11 7 am & 4 pm

Hornsby Bend monthly bird count

Sunday, February 127:30 am & 9:00 am to 10:30 am

monthly bird walk

Saturday, February 187:30 am to noon

monthly bird walk

Saturday, February 257:30 am to 11:00 am

bird walk

Sunday, February 264:00 to 6:30 pm

Feb 28 to March 5, 2006Lower Rio Grande Valley

Saturday, March 48:00 am to noon

Lake Tawakoni (Dallas Area)Registration required. A joint fi eld trip with Audubon Dallas led by Richard Kinney. We will be hoping to see Smith’s and Lapland Longspurs as well as other wintering grassland species. Lake Tawakoni, one of the top birding spots in NE Texas, is noted for the occasional appearance of rare wintering gulls and waterfowl. There will be ample opportunities for exploring other hot-spots in the area over the holiday weekend. Contact Stan VanSandt by phone at 707-7438 for more information.

Canyon of the EaglesDetails to be published on the web soon and in the February newsletter. Contact Mark Bentley ([email protected], (c) 461-5375) for more information.

Monthly Bird Count at Hornsby Bend Contact Kevin Anderson (972-1960) for more information - sponsored monthly by the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory.

Monthly Bird Walk at Roy Guerrero Park Contact Charles Stephens ([email protected], (w) 328-9453) for more information.

Monthly Bird Walk at Hornsby BendContact Richard Kaskan ([email protected], (c) 748-8660) for more information.

Webberville ParkLed by Ingrid Huskey and Georgia Harper. This parkland with large, scattered, pecan trees and riparian woodland along the Colorado River has often produced eastern rarities at the far western edge of their range. Expect good looks at three species of woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebird, several species of sparrows, American Goldfi nch, and perhaps a Red-shouldered Hawk. Bring snack/water, restrooms available. Contact Ingrid Huskey ([email protected], (h) 933-1945) for more information.

Meadow LakeLed by Kathy McCormack. Good location for viewing winter waterfowl and shorebirds. Directions: Take IH 35 north to Round Rock to Exit 254 (FM 3406), the next exit past Hwy 79. At the light on the access road, turn right and go east on Old Settler’s Blvd. Go straight through two 4-way stops, then turn left onto Settlement Drive. Go about 1/4 miles, and park along the side of the road (the park and 65-acre lake will be on your right). Contact Kathy McCormack (vefl [email protected], (c) 698-9880) for more information.

Lower Rio Grande ValleyPlan is to spend two nights in the upper Valley and visit spots near Laredo. Two nights in the McAllen/Pharr area to allow visits to many refuges from Mission to Weslaco. The last 1-2 night in the Harlingen/Brownsville area would allow visits to Laguna Atascosa NWR and South Padre Island area. Contact Gary Waggerman or call him at 512-301-2615. More details online at www.travisaudubon.org.

Pedernales Falls State ParkLed by George Kerr and Mark McClelland. Participants who wish to camp overnight on Friday night should make campsite reservations as soon as possible since Pedernales Falls State park fi lls up fast! Contact Texas Parks & Wildlife at www.tpwd.state.tx.us or 512-389-8900 for reservations. Complete de-tails available online at www.travisaudubon.org and coming in February’s Signal Smoke. Contact George Kerr ([email protected], (c) 785-3579) for more information.

About TAS Field Trips All TAS fi eld trips are open to members and nonmembers and to experienced and inexperienced birders. Wear appro priate clothing and walking shoes, and bring binoculars and water. Unless otherwise noted, fi eld trips are free. Carpoolers should expect to pay a share of the gasoline expense. For complete, up-to-date information on fi eld trips, includ ing cancellations due to weather or other circumstances, please check the TAS website at www.travis-audubon.org. Because of the pub lication schedule of the newsletter, things can change. If you do not have Internet access, please contact the person(s) listed with the event description.

About Hornsby Bend Maps and other information about the Hornsby Bend facility may be found on the Hornsby Bend website at www.hornsbybend.org

And coming in

March 2006

1 2 S I G N A L S M O K E / January 20 0 6 T R A V I S A U D U B O N S O C I E T Y

Below is the fi nal version of the modifi cations to our Articles of Incorporation. I received no feedback during the comment period, so Chapter members will

vote on the proposed modifi cations at the February 16, 2006 membership meeting.

If you are not a Chapter member and would like to vote on the modifi cations, we must have your membership dues by February 2, 2006. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] or call me at 300-BIRD. Thank you. Shelia Hargis

ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT

Articles of Amendmentto the

Restated Articles of Incorporationof

Travis Audubon Society, Inc.

1. The name of the corporation is Travis Audubon Society, Inc.

2. The following amendments are made to the Articles of Incorporation as found in Article Four of the Restated Articles of Incorporation, and supercede any other language to the contrary.

• Current Article III is hereby deleted, and a new Article III is hereby adopted as follows:

Article IIIPurpose

The Society is organized exclusively for charitable, scientifi c, or educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding sections of any future federal tax code.

• Current Article V is hereby deleted, and a new Article V is hereby adopted as follows:

Article VIn the event of dissolution of the corporation, any assets remaining after the payment of all debts and obligations against the corporation, shall be distributed to a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding sections of any future federal tax code; or to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the district court of the county in which the corporation’s principal offi ce is located. Any distribution by the court shall be made in such a manner that, in the judgment of the court, shall best accomplish the general purpose or purposes for which the corporation was organized.

• Current Article VII is hereby deleted, and a new Article VII is hereby adopted as follows:

Article VIIAmendments

These Articles of Incorporation may be amended at any time by a two-thirds vote of the members in good standing present and voting at any regular or special meeting, provided that suitable notice is mailed to each member at least fi fteen days before said meeting, which notice may be provided in the newsletter of the organization. Such meetings may be proposed by the Board of Directors, or by a petition signed by no fewer than twenty members in good standing.

• Current Article VIII is hereby deleted, and a new Article VIII is hereby adopted as follows:

Article VIIIMembership

The corporation shall be a membership corporation as defi ned in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

• A new Article XIII is hereby added as follows:Article XIII

Decisions Made in Good FaithNo director shall be held liable for any informed decision made in good faith and in the belief that the decision was made in the best interest of the corporation, or for any other act or omission similarly made, provided that this provision shall not apply to a director to the extent that the director is found liable for:1) a breach in the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation;2) an act or omission not in good faith that constitutes a breach of any duty of the director to the corporation;3) any act or omission that involves intentional misconduct, or an intentional violation of the law;4) a transaction from which the director received an improper benefi t, whether or not the benefi t resulted from an action taken within the scope of the director’s offi ce; or,5) an act or omission for which the liability of a director is expressly provided for by an applicable statute.

3. These amendments were approved at a meeting of the members of the corporation held on the 16th day of February, 2006, and a quorum being present, received the vote of two-thirds of the members with voting rights in respect thereof.

_______________________________ President, Travis Audubon Society, Inc.

VOTE on Proposed Modifi cations to TAS Articles of Incorporation


Education Committee News - Classes

CommitteeN E W SN E W STA STA S

Beginning Birding Classes

We’re pleased to announce that, due to popular request, the TAS Education Committee will sponsor a daytime

class for beginning birders. In fact, we’ll be offering both a daytime class and an evening class beginning in February, so participants can choose the option which best meets their needs. There will be four lecture/slide sessions and four fi eld trips for each class. Because fi eld trips provide the opportunity to put into practice the skills taught in the classroom, we strongly encourage registrants to make a commitment to attend the fi eld trips as well as the lectures.

Jean Martin will again teach the classes, which are designed to provide new birders with the techniques and skills to help them identify unfamiliar birds. Jean has been a birder for more than 16 years and has taught this course twice a year for the past 6 years. Participants will receive a beginning birding booklet, plus many other handouts. Identifi cation tips, bird migration, and choosing binoculars will be among the topics presented. All lecture/slide presentations wil be held at the Lower Colorado River Authority campus, 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. Field trips will go to various locations in Travis and nearby counties later in the same week as the classes. Trips begin early in the morning and end between noon and 2 p.m.

Schedule for the Tuesday Morning Class Lecture/slide presentations will be held from 9-11:30am on Feb. 21, Mar. 14, Mar. 28, and Apr. 11. Field trips will be on Thursdays from about 7am to between noon and 2pm on Feb. 23, Mar. 16, Mar. 30, and Apr. 13

Schedule for the Tuesday Evening Class Lecture/slide presentations will be held from 7-9:30 pm on Feb. 21, Mar. 14, Mar. 28, and Apr. 11. Field trips will be on Saturdays from about 7am to between noon and 2pm on Feb. 25, Mar. 18, Apr. 1, and Apr. 15

The class fee is $45, and class size will be limited to 12 people for each class. With questions, please contact Jean Martin at [email protected] or phone her at 343-7053. Be sure to specify whether you want to attend the class with the morning lectures and weekday fi eld trips or the class with the evening lectures and weekend fi eld trips.

Sparrow Identifi cation Class

Participants in Byron’s previous classes have pronounced this course, “Awesome!” Byron has been an avid

birder and lister since the 1970s. He became interested in sparrows almost 25 years ago and has spent much of the intervening decades trying to fi gure out how to tell apart all those “little brown birds.” Byron has traveled all parts of the state to observe and listen to birds, and has seen all the sparrows that occur naturally in Texas. Winter in central

Texas is a great time to study native sparrows, and this class will help participants take advantage of that fact. Field trips will visit a variety of Austin area locales to maximize the number of species observed and enhance the opportunity for comparative study. Classroom sessions will focus on identifi cation of the two dozen members of the family Emberizidae that occur regularly in Central Texas - everything on your TAS Checklist between Spotted Towhee and White-crowned Sparrow. This is a good class for people who already have some birding experience but want to refi ne their approach to the identifi cation of sparrows, including subspecies. Byron also says it is a good class for “people who don’t mind tromping through some grass.” Sturdy footwear is strongly recommended for the fi eld trips. There will be four Wednesday night lectures, each followed by a Saturday morning fi eld trip. Lectures will be from 7-9 p.m. on January 18 and 25, and Feb 1 and Feb 15 in the Tarrytown area of central Austin. Details provided with registration. Tuition is $60 for TAS members and $70 for non-members. The class is limited to 12 participants. With questions, please contact call Anne Donovan at [email protected] or 472-3030.

Chimney Swift Tower Workshop

Georgean and Paul Kyle will conduct a workshop on building and maintaining habitat for Chimney Swifts on

Sunday, February 19, from 1-4 pm. The workshop will begin with an introduction to Chimney Swifts that includes a slide presentation and video highlights from a typical nesting season. Participants will then construct a 12’ tall tower to be installed at a later date. After the project is completed, Georgean and Paul will lead the class on a one-mile walking tour of the Chaetura Canyon Bird Sanctuary. There are currently fi fteen Chimney Swift towers on the property that demonstrate a variety of designs and materials. Refreshments will be served following the tour.

Master Naturalists and property owners with wildlife exemptions may fi nd this workshop useful in their conservation efforts. Chimney Swift Towers also make great Eagle Scout projects, so Scout Masters, Eagle candidates and their parents should consider taking advantage of this unique opportunity.

Registration is limited to twelve builders (16 years of age and older). The cost of this workshop is $25 for TAS members and $35 for non-members. The fee includes a copy of the Kyle’s book “Chimney Swift Towers: New Habitat for America’s Mysterious Birds”. For more information, please contact Anne Donovan at 472-3030 or email her at [email protected]. For a preview of the walking tour, visit www.chimneyswifts.org and click on the “Chaetura Canyon Bird Sanctuary” link.

New Course Payment Procedure! To pay tuition for any TAS class please mail a check, payable to Travis Audubon Society, to TAS Classes, P.O. Box 40787, Austin, TX 78704 or just go to www.travisaudubon.org, click on CLASSES, and use the easy PayPal buttons to pay tuition online.


Austin Nature Day Saturday April 15, 2006Travis Audubon is a proud major sponsor of the second annual Austin Nature Day, a new event in Austin designed to celebrate the beauty, vitality, and diversity of natural resources that contribute to our high quality of life. Whether one wants to recreate, relax or learn about our environment, over twenty organizations at over fi fteen locations in the Greater Austin area have created unique programs and events to make it happen. Visit www.austinnatureday.org

North American Bluebird Society Convention, April 26-30, 2006

The Texas Bluebird Society hosts this year’s North American Bluebird Society Convention in San Antonio. Many break-out sessions, general sessions, and fi eld trips are planned. Break-out topics include building your own nest-box cam, drawing in the fi eld, controlling house sparrows, bluebird education for children, history of bluebirding, cowbird management, and more. One track at the convention focuses on strengthening non-profi t organizations. Visit www.nabs2006.com

Balcones Songbird Festival April 29-May 1, 2006Travis Audubon is also a proud major sponsor of this year’s Balcones Songbird Festival. Planned events, too numerous to name, include a Warbler & Vireo Habitat tour with Chuck Sexton and John Kelly, a Hill Country Birding tour with Bill Reiner, Back Country Hiking with Jean & Seay Nance, Little Bend Native Landscape Tour with Evelyn Nugent, Sounds of the Night with Kathy McCormack, a Nature Photography Workshop with Karen Kilfeather, a Spider Show with Joe Lapp, and the Last Chance Forever Raptor Show. Visit www.balconessongbirdfestival.org.

International Migratory Bird Day and Travis Audubon Birdathon May 13, 2006

International Migratory Bird Day was launched in 1993 by the Smithsonian and Cornell, and is now under the auspices of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Each year features of theme and the 2006 theme is, “The Boreal Forest: Bird Nursery of the Americas.” North America’s boreal forest encompasses about 1.5 billion acres and stretches from Alaska to Newfoundland. Billions of birds of over 270 species migrate long distances from these locations to the Boreal where they nest and raise young in what is known as North America’s Bird Nursery.

Think Spring! Save the Dates for These Events

This year Travis Audubon Society will hold a Birdathon – a single day to raise funds for the Society – to coincide with and celebrate International Migratory Bird Day. Teams of birders collect pledges (as in a walkathon) from friends, family and co-workers and go out together on this day to observe and count as many species as they can. We’ll have a fun Birdathon closing event in the evening, too. Stay tuned for details from Travis Audubon and be sure to save May 13th for a special day of birding.


Other Ways to get involved with TASOther Ways to get involved with TAS

What topics would YOU like to learn more about at our monthly meetings?

The Travis Audubon Society President, Shelia Hargis, asked me, Marsha Reimer, to chair the Programs Committee and I accepted. Howie Richey recently decided to take a short leave as chair, but he promised to come back and help us with programs in the future. TAS Regular Monthly Meetings are a wonderful time to see old friends, meet new friends and learn new things about our wonderful world. Our fantastic presenters have enriched our lives with such topics as the bats of Texas, snakes, Whooping Cranes,

Hummingbirds and endangered Albatrosses. What topics would draw you to our monthly meetings? Would you like to hear musicians playing soothing music during the social time? Would you like to visit booths with various topics relating to the evening’s program? What about an art exhibit? Do you have some great ideas on how we could make the meetings enjoyable for all TAS members? I invite you to join me monthly to brainstorm these ideas and more. Let’s plan programs that will be fun and exciting for TAS members and also attract new members. Let’s meet the 2nd Monday of each month. If you are interested, please call me at 965-6714.

Marsha Reimer

TRAVIS AUDUBON SOCIETY NATURE BOOK CLUB

We invite you to join the Travis Audubon Society Nature Book Club, which is usually held the 4th Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm at BookPeople (6th and Lamar, thank you BookPeople!). The group is informal and fun, and you can choose to go to all the meetings and discuss all the books, or you can pick and choose the meetings

featuring books you would like to discuss. You do not have to have read the book to attend. Below is a list of books we will read for the next few months.

January 26th, 2006 – The Feather Quest by Pete Dunne (Mariner, 1999)February 24th, 2006 – Spoked Dreams: An Odyssey by Bicycle and Mind by Charles Riddel (Air-Space, 2005)

Please note that this list is tentative! Before you commit to reading a book for a particular month, you may want to call Terry Banks at 451-6302 or e-mail [email protected] to fi nd out if the book is still current.

And don’t forget, after your fi eld trip please add your sightings to our online Bird Records database! We’ve made adding entries very easy - just go to:

www.travisaudubon.org and click on the Bird Records linkP.S. We want entries about your “every day” backyard bird sightings, too!

Ongoing TAS MeetingsMeeting Schedules

Program Committee: meets on the 2nd Monday of each month, contact Marsha Reimer, 965-6714

TAS Board of Directors: meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month (except for December), contact: Shelia Hargis, 300-BIRD

Urban Habitat Development Group: meets on the 3rd Monday of each month, contact: Jane Tillman, 794-0058

Education Committee: meets on the 3rd Monday of each month, contact: Bill Reiner, 445-0565

Latin America Committee Meeting: meets most 3rd Wednesdays, contact Bob Warneke at [email protected] for details

TAS Regular Monthly Meeting: meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month except for June, July & August.

Bird Records Committee: meets on the 4th Thursday of the month, contact: Ethel Kutac, 346-7659

TAS Nature Book Club Meeting: the 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00pm at BookPeople, contact: [email protected]

Sanctuary Committee: meets quarterly, contact: John Wilcox, [email protected] or 219-8425


Travis Audubon SocietyMembership SecretaryP.O. Box 40787Austin TX 78704

Dated Material - DO NOT DELAY

Nonprofi t Org.U.S. Postage PaidPermit No. 2301

Austin, Texas

Local and NationalAudubon Membership

Join the Travis Audubon Society by using the form at the right, and your dues will be put to use supporting local conserva-tion, education, and research projects. You may also join the National Audubon Society through their website at www.audu-bon.org. As a member of National Audubon, you will enjoy Travis Audubon chapter member ship, and receive the quar-terly Audubon magazine, with a portion of your dues going to support national programs.

Join Travis Audubon now and supportlocal birds, wildlife, and their habitats.Travis Audubon Society members receive 11 issues of the Signal Smoke newsletter, priority sign-up on local fi eld trips, discounts on educational classes, and the opportunity to par-ticipate in our email group and monthly lectures.

To join Travis Audubon Society:Make your check payable to Travis Audubon Societyand send with this form to TAS Membership Secretary, P.O. Box 40787, Austin, TX 78704.

Travis Audubon SocietyYES! I want to enjoy the benefi ts of Travis Audubon Soci-ety membership. Enroll me as a member of Travis Audu-bon Society. Enclosed is my check for:

� $12 Youth Membership (up to age 18)� $25 Individual Membership� $35 Family Membership� $75 Painted Bunting Membership (bonus Travis

Audubon T-shirt)� $100 Vireo Membership (bonus T-shirt and book)� $250 Warbler Membership (bonus T-shirt, book, and

free workshop)� $1,000 Lifetime Membership (bonus T-shirt, book,

free work shop, and listing in annual report)

T-shirt size (for premium memberships) __________________

� This is a gift membership from ________________________

Name _______________________________ Phone ________________

Address _____________________________________________________

City ____________________________ State _____ Zip _____________

Email ______________________________________________________

Visit the TAS Web site:www.travisaudubon.org

Jan 2006 SignalSmoke - Travis Audubontravisaudubon.org/.../uploads/2011/10/Jan2006SignalSmoke.pdfSpeaker: Jason Spangler, Treasurer and Board Member, Native Prairies Association of

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